Great Lakes Tek Flex

September 10, 2026 - September 11, 2026

MSU Southwest Michigan Research and Extension Center, 1791 Hillandale Road, Benton Harbor, MI 49022

Contact: Mike Reinke at reinkem3@msu.edu or 573-239-0808

Technology promises to ease labor issues and empower growers with actionable insights in ways most growers could never envision. Vegetable growers, vineyards, nursery and orchard growers throughout the Great Lakes region won’t have to imagine any longer. The Tek Flex will feature the latest in weed mitigation and crop management solutions using robotics, drones and precision agriculture technology over two consecutive days.

On day 1, the event will focus on connecting growers with companies that have commercialized advanced technologies through “In the dirt” demonstrations, allowing them to see technology in use. Growers can interact with company representatives to better understand the benefits of these technologies to their operations. A wide range of technologies will be on tap, including but not limited to “see and spray”, autonomous vehicles, AI perception tools, orchard management, planting, vegetation management, harvesting, drone spray and AI decision support. Complete lists will be updated on the www.gltekflex.org website.

On Day 2, the focus will be on removing barriers to adoption, with targeted discussions featuring governments, industry groups, and support industry participation, with the goal of identifying and aligning resources and activity to streamline the process of technology adoption.

The mission of the Great Lakes Tek Flex is to improve the sustainability and resiliency of Great Lakes Specialty Crop Growers by removing barriers to technology adoption.

This event is made possible by support and promotion from our partners and sponsors including: Michigan State University Extension, Michigan Department of Agriculture (MDARD), Michigan Vegetable Council, Michigan Grape Growers, Michigan Hort Society, Ohio State University, Ontario Ministry of Agriculture Food and Agribusiness, Cornell University, The Ontario Ag Robotics Working Group, Cornell University, Meshcomm Engineering, with many additional sponsors expected.

For more information about the GL Tek Flex field day expo, go to www.gltekflex.org.

Schedule:

Day 1
8 a.m. Registration opens
9 a.m. Field Demonstrations begin
12 p.m. Lunch
1 p.m. Field Demonstrations resume
4 p.m. Evening Reception/Dinner
Day 2
8 a.m. Registration opens
9 a.m. Introductions and Kickoff
9:15 a.m. Session 1: Making AgTech work in the Great Lakes
11 a.m. Networking
12 p.m. Lunch
1:30 p.m. Session 2: Bridging the Gap
3:30 p.m. Networking/Social

Registration Rate: